Chapter 14, Verse 15 (Bhagavad Gita 14.15)
Chapter 14: Guṇa Traya Vibhāg Yog – Yoga through Understanding the Three Modes of Material Nature
Sanskrit Shloka
रजसि प्रलयं गत्वा कर्मसङ्गिषु जायते।तथा प्रलीनस्तमसि मूढयोनिषु जायते
Transliteration
rajasi pralayaṁ gatvā karma-saṅgiṣhu jāyate tathā pralīnas tamasi mūḍha-yoniṣhu jāyate
Word Meanings
rajasi—in the mode of passion; pralayam—death; gatvā—attaining; karma-saṅgiṣhu—among people driven by work; jāyate—are born; tathā—likewise; pralīnaḥ—dying; tamasi—in the mode of ignorance; mūḍha-yoniṣhu—in the animal kingdom; jāyate—takes birth
Translation
If one meets death while Rajas is predominant, one is born among those attached to fruitive actions; and if one meets death while Tamas is predominant, one is born in the wombs of the thoughtless.
Meaning & Commentary
In this profound revelation, Lord Krishna explains the mechanics of reincarnation dictated by the subtle influences of the three gunas. When the soul departs with a consciousness saturated in passion (Rajas), it gravitates toward a life of restless activity and material desire. Conversely, those who leave this world under the cloud of ignorance (Tamas) sink into states of consciousness characterized by delusion and sloth. Lord Krishna warns that our final thoughts and dominant state of mind at the moment of transition act as a rudder, steering the soul toward its next manifestation. By guiding Arjuna—and through him, all humanity—to cultivate Sattva, the Supreme Lord invites us to transcend these lower modes and ultimately achieve liberation in His eternal abode.